John Stafford Loving Second Swimming Stint -- With NFL Son Watching

John Stafford’s first day back in the pool didn’t go well.

After being out of the water for several decades, his weight had ballooned to 218 pounds when he decided to start swimming again in 2021. However, he suffered a minor heart attack during that first workout, though, fortunately for him, doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with his heart and persuaded him to continue swimming.

“I decided I was going to go with a program where I had somebody on deck in case I needed it,” says Stafford, 75, who joined Jim Montgomery Masters Swim in Dallas. “And I love [Coach Jim Montgomery]. His program is great. Everybody is there for workouts and camaraderie, and he’s terrific. I just love it again.”

Stafford began competing again, with the 2023 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship being his fourth meet as a Masters swimmer—and fourth in 45 years. He started swimming as a junior in high school and also swam at Florida State University.

Stafford won a national championship in the 1000 freestyle on the first day of Spring Nationals and then dropped 17 seconds in the 500 freestyle on the second.

“It felt pretty good,” Stafford says. “Probably about halfway through, I could tell that I was going faster than I’ve ever been before. I just tried to stay long and strong and get through it. I noticed the gentleman that I was swimming next to, probably at about the halfway point, I knew we were in a race. It was a lot of fun. At the end, he goes, ‘Good race,’ and I did the same thing. It’s what Masters is all about.

Stafford’s son, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, served as his counter for the 500 freestyle.

“It’s a lot of fun to be able to come watch him do his thing,” Matthew Stafford says. “I obviously haven’t gotten the chance to do it. He was obviously at a million of my games growing up, so I’m happy to be here just watching him do his thing.”

John Stafford was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Georgia—where one of his first swimmers was Jack Bauerle, who went on to coach Georgia and Team USA—and was the head men’s coach at Florida State before leaving coaching in 1982.

Matthew Stafford learned to swim as a child, but swimming wasn’t meant to be his sport.

“The first time Matthew’s in there, he could swim, but we were trying to get his strokes right,” John Stafford says. “He had to go across the pool and go back, so he goes across, comes back, puts his arm up on the edge, puts his goggles up, and goes, ‘Get me out of here.’ He was maybe 6 or something. ‘Get me out of here.’

“But he’s a great swimmer. He’s got these long arms, big hands, strong as hell.”

Those characteristics helped Matthew Stafford blossom into the first overall draft pick in 2009, become the fastest NFL player to reach 40,000 passing yards, and win a Super Bowl, which he did with the Rams in 2021.

Although John Stafford was confident that his son could be a fast swimmer today—Matthew Stafford does swim occasionally in the NFL offseason—his son isn’t.

“It’d be a lot of splashing going on,” Matthew Stafford says. “I’d probably go somewhat fast, but not that fast. These guys make it look so easy.”

Meanwhile, his father plans to keep swimming. He’s lost nearly 30 pounds, and he’s achieving success in the pool. He was a three-time All-American last year.

“I enjoy watching the 85- to 90-year-olds,” John Stafford says. “I love the Masters concept. There’s 2,500 swimmers here … they’re in the sport, they’re doing great things, and I love it. I just love what this program is all about.”